Hypotube catheter

ABSTRACT

A balloon catheter device ( 300 ) of the present invention includes an elongate catheter shaft ( 301 ) comprising a helically-cut hypotube having a proximal portion and a distal portion. The proximal portion includes a coating that allows the shaft to provide a patent fluid passage, and a part of the distal portion inside a balloon ( 304 ) may be uncoated or otherwise open to the balloon lumen, allowing for passage of fluid through the shaft into the balloon lumen.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present application relates to medical catheters, and more specifically to medical catheters useful in endovascular and other body lumens.

BACKGROUND

Medical delivery catheters are well known in the art of minimally invasive surgery for introduction of fluids and devices to sites inside a patient's body. For example, balloon dilation of luminal stenoses (e.g., in procedures such as angioplasty or balloon dilation of a bile duct), stent placement, and introduction of radio-opaque contrast fluids are common uses of catheters.

The most widely used form of angioplasty makes use of a dilation catheter having an inflatable balloon at its distal end. In coronary procedures, a hollow guide catheter or wire guide typically is used for guiding the dilation catheter through the vascular system to a position near the stenosis (e.g., to a coronary arterial lumen occluded by plaque). Using fluoroscopy, the physician guides the dilation catheter the remaining distance through the vascular system until a balloon is positioned to cross the stenosis. The balloon is then inflated by supplying pressurized fluid, through an inflation lumen in the catheter, to the balloon. Inflation of the balloon causes a widening of the lumen of the artery to reestablish acceptable blood flow through the artery. In some cases, a stent may be deployed with or instead of the balloon to widen and hold open the occluded arterial lumen.

Preferably a catheter used in endovascular lumens will have several physical characteristics. The profile and shaft size of the dilation catheter should be such that the catheter can reach and cross a very tight stenosis. Portions of the dilation catheter must also be sufficiently flexible to pass through a tight curvature or tortuous passageway, especially in a catheter adapted for use in the coronary arteries. The ability of a catheter to bend and advance effectively through the endovascular or other lumens is commonly referred to as the “trackability of the catheter.” Another important feature of a dilation catheter is its “pushability.” Pushability involves the transmission of longitudinal forces along the catheter from its proximal end to its distal end so that a physician can push the catheter through the vascular or other lumenal system and the stenoses. Effective catheters should be both trackable and pushable.

Two commonly used types of dilation catheters are referred to as “long-wire” catheters and “short-wire” catheters. A long-wire catheter is one in which a wire guide lumen is provided through the length of the catheter that is adapted for use with a wire guide that can first be used to establish the path to and through a stenosis to be dilated. The dilation catheter can then be advanced over the wire guide until the balloon on the catheter is positioned within the stenosis.

In short-wire catheters, the wire guide lumen may not extend the entire length of the catheter. In this type of catheter, the wire guide lumen may extend only from the distal end of the balloon to a point intermediate the distal and proximal ends of the catheter. This shorter lumen is the only portion of the catheter contacting the wire guide. It is sometimes desirable to exchange this first catheter and/or balloon for a second catheter (e.g., to “exchange out” a balloon catheter, and then “exchange in” a stent-deployment catheter). The exchange is preferably executed by leaving the wire guide in place during removal of the first catheter and using it as a guide for the second catheter. The first catheter is withdrawn or otherwise removed over the wire guide, and then a second catheter is introduced over the wire guide.

Short-wire catheters are often easier to exchange than catheters having the wire guide lumen extending the entire length of the catheter. This is because the wire guide need not be as long as a “long wire” configuration, which requires that a length of the wire guide extending outside the patient's body be longer than the portion of the catheter extending over the long wire guide in order for a doctor or assistant to maintain a grasp on the wire guide (to avoid undesired movement or displacement thereof). The short wire guide configuration catheters also create less friction during mounting and exchange operations due to the shorter wire guide lumen, leading to a reduced likelihood of displacing the wire guide.

Catheters for use in endovascular lumens typically require a variation in physical properties along different portions thereof. For example, a certain degree of stiffness is required for pushability and trackability near the proximal end while distal end requires a great deal of flexibility. A catheter having uniform properties throughout its length poses disadvantages in that it is likely to be too proximally flexible or too distally stiff. As a result, most catheter shafts (especially endovascular catheters) are made from multiple materials along the shaft length. For example, a catheter shaft may have a stiff proximal portion made of metal hypotube, a middle portion made of a stiff plastic, and a distal portion made of a more flexible plastic. This combination of materials poses problems of cost and efficiency in construction, and the junctions provide problematic possibilities for structural failure (such as binding, kinking, or even separation) as well as requiring specialized connection means. In another example, a catheter shaft may be made of plastic for a major part of its length, but have a stiffening wire disposed through a significant portion of that length to enhance stiffness. Some long wire catheters rely almost wholly on placement of a wire guide therethrough to retain the needed stiffness, which presents the problems of length and unwieldiness discussed above. In contrast, the proximal sections of short wire catheters must have adequate stiffness independent of the wire guide.

Several different structures for shortened guide wire lumen dilation catheters have been proposed and used to obtain the desired physical properties described above, but each of these structures tends to suffer from several disadvantages. For example, in a short wire catheter having a relatively flexible one-piece plastic design, because only a small portion of the wire guide extends through the catheter body near the distal end of the catheter shaft, the wire guide portion does not contribute to the pushability of the rest of the catheter shaft. As a result, the proximal shaft portion of such a catheter has low column strength. With such a configuration, the shafts and guide wire may tend to develop undesirable flexure (e.g., scissoring, bowing, buckling, kinking) when the balloon is being manipulated in a lumen. This undesired flexure may cause an irregular exterior surface such as a sharp edge which can in turn cause injurious abrasions to the inner lining of the artery or other lumen (e.g. other body lumen or a working lumen of an endoscope). This undesired flexure also leads to poor pushability and trackability of the catheter. To counteract this deficiency, some known designs have extended the length of the wire guide lumen and/or provided additional stiffener elements in the shaft.

BRIEF SUMMARY

In one aspect the present invention provides a catheter device, adaptable for use in endovascular lumens or other body lumens, that has a construction of helically-scored hypotube for a substantial portion of its length and that is adaptable for use in a short-wire or long-wire configuration. The embodiments described and claimed herein provide a catheter shaft having good pushability and trackability. Embodiments of the present invention may be adaptable for a variety of applications (e.g., placement of expandable stents, balloon dilation of stenoses) and use in a variety of surgical locations (e.g., vascular, gastroenterological).

The embodiments herein may be adaptable for use in a variety of minimally invasive surgical treatments (including, e.g., angioplasty or bile duct dilation).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a catheter, with an enlarged detail view of the catheter's distal end;

FIG. 1B is a perspective view of a tapered catheter device, with an enlarged detail view of the catheter's distal end;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a catheter shaft with a sleeve;

FIG. 3A is a perspective view of a catheter device having a distal extension and an inflation balloon, with an enlarged detail view of the features at the catheter's distal end;

FIG. 3B is a perspective view of a catheter device with an inflation balloon;

FIG. 4A is a perspective view of a catheter device having an external distal wire guide lumen structure, with an enlarged detail view of the features at the catheter's distal end;

FIG. 4B is a perspective view of a catheter device having an external distal wire guide lumen structure and an inflation balloon, with an enlarged detail view of the features at the catheter's distal end;

FIG. 4C is a perspective view of a catheter device with a distal dual lumen structure having a wire guide lumen structure and a mounting portion;

FIGS. 5A-5B show a side view of catheter devices having a distal extension and a wire guide lumen structure;

FIG. 5C is a side view of a catheter device having an external distal wire guide lumen structure and an inflation balloon;

FIG. 6 is a side view of a tapered catheter device having an external distal wire guide lumen structure and an inflation balloon;

FIG. 6A is a detail of FIG. 6 and shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the tapering portion and external wire guide lumen of a catheter device;

FIG. 6B is a detail of FIG. 6 and shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the distal portion of the catheter device, with an enlarged detail view of features where the catheter shaft meets the balloon;

FIG. 6C is a transverse cross-sectional view of a dual-lumen mounting sleeve;

FIG. 6D is a transverse cross-sectional view along line 6D-6D of FIG. 6B showing two lumens of the catheter device surrounded by a mounting sleeve;

FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a catheter device;

FIG. 8 illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of yet another embodiment of a catheter device;

FIGS. 9-9E depict still another catheter device embodiment, including a wire guide lumen tube; and

FIGS. 10-10A show yet another catheter device embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a side view of a catheter device having a distal wire guide lumen structure and an inflation balloon;

FIGS. 11A-11B are detail views of FIG. 11;

FIG. 11C is a transverse cross-sectional view of a dual-lumen mounting sleeve;

FIGS. 11D-11F show transverse cross-sectional views of the catheter device of FIG. 11; and

FIGS. 12A-12K show one method of making a catheter of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In one aspect, presently described embodiments of a tube catheter shaft may be adaptable for use in a variety of minimally invasive surgical applications (e.g. endoscopic procedures, central or peripheral cardiovascular intervention procedures such as, for example, angioplasty).

FIGS. 1A-1B illustrate an embodiment of a catheter device 100 with a shaft 101 constructed of a helically-cut or helically-scored hypotube (such as, for example, stainless steel or nitinol hypotube), collectively referred to herein as helically-scored hypotube. Helically-scored hypotube is well known in the catheter art. The preferred helically-scored hypotube provides very desirable pushability and trackability with virtually no probability of kinking. The helically-scored hypotube may include interior or exterior coatings.

In FIG. 1A, the exterior diameter 107 is approximately the same along the length of the shaft 101. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1B, the proximal end 104 has a greater exterior diameter than the distal end 106. The catheter shaft 101 tapers toward a smaller exterior diameter 108 at the distal end 106. Tapering can enhance flexibility of the shaft 101 in several ways. For example, flexibility is enhanced by decreasing the outside diameter of the catheter shaft 101. The portion of the catheter shaft 101 having a smaller diameter is more flexible than the portion having a larger diameter. Such tapering also decreases the thickness of the wall of the catheter shaft 101. Alternatively, tapering may be used within the internal diameter of a catheter, enhancing flexibility by decreasing wall thickness without altering the exterior diameter of the shaft 101. The steepness and location of the tapering is determined by the desired application for the catheter shaft 101. For example, in alternative embodiments, there may be multiple stepwise or gradual differences in diameter to confer different degrees of flexibility throughout the length of the catheter. For example, catheter shaft 101 for use in coronary arteries will typically benefit from a smaller diameter than a catheter shaft 101 for use in a bile duct, both for gross size and flexibility. A grinding process or other suitable process may be used to reduce the exterior diameter as appropriate for the desired application. Reducing the exterior diameter provides an added benefit by reducing the profile of the device. The flexibility of the catheter shaft 101 or a portion thereof may also be altered by increasing or decreasing the number of filars. In one aspect, the embodiments described herein also provide a catheter shaft having consistent construction material throughout most of the length of the catheter shaft, with gradual transition from a stiffer proximal end to a more flexible distal end and lacking sharp transitions that undermine structural integrity.

A further embodiment of the catheter shaft 101 includes a coating on internal and/or external surfaces for at least a portion of the catheter shaft 101. The coating is selected to confer or improve one or more properties of reduced friction, flexibility, and sealing a lumen 102 of the catheter. Sealing the lumen 102 allows the lumen to be used, for example, for introduction of inflation fluid to a dilation balloon or introduction of a medicative substance or radio-opaque contrast fluid.

The coating may be, for example, a sheath or sleeve 202 as illustrated in FIG. 2. In various alternative embodiments, the sheath 202 may comprise an extruded sleeve, shrink tube, extruded over-jacket, or dip coat. The sheath 202 is preferably a thermoset material or a thermoplastic material and may comprise, for example, HDPE, PTFE, PET, polyester or polyether block amide (PEBA), polyurethane, polyimide, polyolefin, nylon, or any combination thereof. The coating may be applied by, for example, over-extrusion, dip-coating, melt fusion, or heat shrinking. For example, PET shrink tube 202 has the advantage of providing an increased stiffness to a small diameter catheter shaft 201. On the other hand, a PEBA shrink tube 202 can be used with a larger diameter catheter shaft 201 where greater flexibility is desired. The type of sleeve 202 material may also be selected to complement other catheter components; for example, a nylon sleeve 202 may bond and interact better with a nylon expandable member such as a balloon or basket and/or a nylon wire guide lumen. Selection of coating materials, filar size and number, and diameter allow manipulation of the catheter shaft's 201 shore hardness to offer the desired functional properties.

FIGS. 3A-3B illustrate embodiments of balloon catheters 300 comprising a helically-scored hypotube 301. In the embodiment of FIG. 3A, the catheter shaft 301 has a distal extension 302, upon which is mounted an inflation balloon 304. The distal extension 302 can be formed of the same group of materials used in the coating (HDPE, PTFE, PEBA, PET, polyurethane, polyimide, polyolefin, nylon, or any combination thereof) and provides a shaft portion that may be more flexible than the shaft 301. As can clearly be seen in the detail illustration portion of FIG. 3A, the extension 302 encloses an inflation lumen 306 which continues from an inflation lumen 306 of the catheter shaft 301. The extension 302 also encloses a wire guide lumen 308. In the illustrated long wire configuration catheter 300, the wire guide lumen extends from the proximal end of the catheter shaft 301 and extends through the inflation balloon 304 at the distal end.

The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3B has an inflation balloon 304 disposed directly on the distal end of the catheter shaft 301. An inflation lumen 306 of the catheter shaft 301 opens into the inflation balloon 304. A wire guide lumen 308 traverses the interior of the balloon 304, continuing the wire guide lumen 308 of the catheter shaft 301 to a point distal of the inflation balloon 304. As illustrated an expandable stent 312 may be positioned about the balloon 304. In an alternative embodiment, an expandable member other than a balloon (e.g., a basket) may be disposed near the distal end of the catheter shaft 301. Such an embodiment optionally may have a wire guide through the expandable member. At its proximal end the catheter 300 has a port 310 in fluid communication with the inflation lumen 306. In an alternative embodiment, the port 310 offers access to the guide wire lumen 308. The port 310 may be included in other embodiments, and in other positions on the catheter 300. In another alternative embodiment, the catheter shaft 301 has two ports 310, offering separate access to each of the inflation lumen 306 and the wire guide lumen 308. In other alternative embodiments, the port 310 may be useful for introducing another fluid such as a contrast fluid.

FIGS. 4A-4B illustrate embodiments of a helically-scored hypotube balloon catheter device 400 comprising a catheter shaft 401 and further comprising an external, distally disposed short wire guide lumen structure in the form of a cannula 402 having a wire guide lumen 404 disposed therethrough. In FIG. 4A, the cannula 402 is attached on the distal end 408 of the catheter shaft 401 using an adhesive. Alternative means of attachment include, for example, forced convection heating, radio frequency heating, ultrasonic welding, and laser bonding. Alternatively, shrink tubing may be used as a manufacturing aid to help compress and fuse the cannula 402 to the catheter shaft 401. The shrink tubing may be removed and disposed of after the cannula 402 is connected to the catheter shaft 401, or may remain on as part of the connected structure. If the catheter shaft 401 has a coating, the cannula 402 may be bonded to the coating or directly to the catheter shaft 401. A heat shrink tubing, for example PEBA, may be applied over the entire assembly, which increases the strength of the assembly. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4B, the cannula 402 is constructed of helically-scored hypotube. An inflation balloon 406 is mounted on the distal end 408 of the catheter shaft 401. An inflation lumen 405 of the catheter shaft 401 is open to the interior of the inflation balloon 406. The cannula 402 extends through the inflation balloon 406 and has an extension 407 on its distal end. A wire guide lumen 404 runs through the length of the cannula 402 and its extension 407. Although not shown, it should be appreciated that an expandable stent can be disposed about the balloon 406. The cannula 402 providing a wire guide lumen structure can be formed of HDPE, PTFE, PEBA, PET, polyurethane, polyimide, polyolefin, nylon, or any combination thereof. In one embodiment, the cannula 402 comprises a PTFE inner liner and a PEBA outer cover. Other materials may be used as an inner liner such as, for example, HDPE, PET, and polyimide.

In FIG. 4C, a dual lumen structure 410 is disposed on the distal end 408 of the catheter shaft 401. A portion of the length of dual lumen structure 410 has a “FIG. 8” cross section. A mounting portion 412 of the dual lumen structure 410 has a lumen 414. The distal end 408 of the catheter shaft 401 fits into the lumen 414. The lumen 414 may be completely occupied by the distal end 408 of the catheter shaft 401, or may continue coaxially beyond the distal end 408 so as to form an extension. If the mounting portion 412 is placed as an extension, the lumen 414 is in fluid communication with a lumen 420 of the shaft 401. A wire guide portion 416 of the dual lumen structure 410 has a wire guide lumen 418 running therethrough. The dual lumen structure 410 is attached on the distal end 408 of the catheter shaft 401 using one of the attachment methods described for the embodiment shown in FIG. 4A. In this embodiment, the lumen 414 of the dual lumen structure is in fluid communication with a lumen 405 of the catheter shaft 401. In an alternative embodiment, a part of the mounting portion 412 is mounted inside the lumen 420 of the catheter shaft 401.

FIGS. 5A-5C illustrate embodiments of a balloon catheter 500 incorporating a helically-scored hypotube shaft 501 and having a short wire guide configuration. The embodiments shown in FIGS. 5A-5B each have a coaxial extension 502 of the shaft 501, a short wire guide lumen structure in the form of a tube 504, and an inflation balloon 506. The coaxial extension 502 may have the same or a different flexibility than the shaft 501. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5A, the proximal end 508 of the tube 504 is disposed distal of the juncture of the extension 502 with the shaft 501. The tube 504 enters the extension 502 and extends through the distal end of the balloon 506. Thus, this embodiment comprises a distal extension of the shaft (in this case the coaxial extension 502) and the wire guide lumen structure 504, a portion of the wire guide lumen structure 504 being coaxial within the distal extension, another portion of the wire guide lumen structure 504 being outside the distal extension adjacent thereto.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5B, the proximal end 508 of the tube 504 is disposed proximal of the juncture of the extension 502 with the shaft 501. The tube 504 enters the extension 502 and proceeds through the distal end of the balloon 506. Thus, this embodiment comprises a distal extension of the shaft (in this case the coaxial extension 502) and the wire guide lumen structure 504, a portion of the wire guide lumen structure being coaxial within the distal extension, another portion of the wire guide lumen structure 504 being outside the shaft adjacent thereto. The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5C does not have an extension. The balloon 506 is disposed on the distal end of the shaft 501. The proximal end 508 of the tube 504 is disposed proximal of the juncture of the extension 502 with the shaft 501 and is affixed to the exterior of the shaft 501. The tube 504 passes through the middle of the balloon 506 and proceeds through the distal end of the balloon 506. In each of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 5A-5C, the placement of the proximal end 508 of the tube 504 along the shaft 501 affects the flexibility of the shaft 501. Therefore, variation in the placement is useful in increasing or reducing flexibility as desired in other embodiments.

FIG. 6 illustrates one embodiment of a balloon catheter 600 having an elongate shaft 601 comprising a helically-scored hypotube. An inflation balloon 602 is disposed near the distal end. FIG. 6A is an enlarged detail illustration of a middle section of the catheter 600. As can be clearly seen in FIG. 6A, the shaft 601 includes an external wire guide lumen 604 and an internal inflation lumen 606. As shown in FIG. 6A, this embodiment the catheter shaft 601 is coated with a PEBA coating 603. The coating 603 serves to reduce friction during introduction of the catheter shaft 601 and provides a seal to prevent leakage of inflation fluid from the inflation lumen 606 through the walls of the shaft 601. As can also be seen in FIG. 6A, the catheter shaft 601 tapers distally to a smaller diameter along the region 605.

FIG. 6B is an enlarged detail illustration of a distal section of the balloon catheter 600. As shown in FIG. 6B, the inflation lumen 606 opens into the inflation balloon 602, and the wire guide lumen 604 extends through the balloon 602 to the distal end 607. FIG. 6B includes an enlarged detail portion more clearly illustrating the relationship between the balloon 602 and the two lumens (604 and 606). In this embodiment, the balloon 602 and wire guide lumen 604 are mounted to the shaft 601 with a PEBA shrink sleeve 608. As shown in FIG. 6C, a cross-sectional view of the sleeve 608 has approximately a figure-eight shape before mounting. The sleeve 608 has two central apertures (610 and 612) to allow mounting the sleeve 608 over the wire guide lumen 604 and the shaft. In this embodiment, after the balloon 602 and wire guide 604 are assembled to the shaft 601 together with the sleeve 608, the sleeve 608 is heated to shrink and form to the assembly of shaft 601, balloon 602, and wire guide 604. FIG. 6D is a transverse cross section along line 6D-6D of FIG. 6B, and shows the finished configuration. The sleeve 608 forms to the shaft 601 and leaves open the inflation lumen 606 and the wire guide lumen 604.

Cross-lumen communication may be prevented. For example, the walls of the helically-scored hypotube of the elongate shaft 601 may be porous, and pressure exerted on an inflation fluid in the inflation lumen 606 may urge inflation fluid into the wire guide lumen 604. According to one aspect, this may be prevented by lining the wire guide lumen 604 with a liner such as, for example, PTFE, although other materials may be used. Furthermore, an inner coating segment may be placed over the elongate shaft 601 beneath the proximal breach or side opening of the wire guide lumen 604. The inner coating segment may be, for example, PEBA. The inner coating segment may be implemented to alter flexibility in the area of the segment, for example to avoid abrupt changes in flexibility. In one embodiment, the proximal end of the segment terminates at about halfway through the taper and the distal end of the segment terminates just distal of the proximal breach or side opening of the wire guide lumen 604. According to another aspect, cross-lumen communication may be prevented by placing the coating 603 over essentially the entire length of the elongate shaft 601, and the sleeve 608 may subsequently be placed over the coating 603 and elongate shaft 601. According to yet another aspect, cross-lumen communication may be prevented by simply making the walls of the sleeve 608 thicker. A 0.001 inch (0.025 mm) wall thickness of the coating 603 or sleeve 608, for example, may be sufficient. As mentioned previously, the coating 603 and sleeve 608 may be PEBA or another suitable material. These principles may be implemented in other embodiments of the invention as may be desirable due to fluid being passed through or injected into one of the lumens.

FIGS. 7A-7B illustrate a cross-sectional view of a portion of a catheter device 700 according to one aspect of the present invention. A shaft wall comprising multiple filars 702 includes an inner coating 701 and an outer coating 703, and surrounds a first lumen 704 and a second lumen 706. A wire guide 708 extends through the first lumen 702, and a stent-deployment shaft 710 extends through the second lumen 706. As shown in FIG. 7A, the catheter device 700 includes a distal extension 712 that houses a self-expandable stent 714. FIG. 7B illustrates the stent 714 having been pushed out of the second lumen 706 by the stent-deployment shaft 710 such that the stent 714 is deployed. Prior to deployment of the stent 714, the wire guide 708 is typically retracted into the shaft wall or lumen 704 so as not to interfere with deployment of the stent 714.

FIG. 8 illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a catheter device 800, including a self-expanding stent 810. The catheter device 800 has a central lumen 802 surrounded by a first, outer tubular helically-scored hypotube body 804. A second, inner helically-scored hypotube is coaxially disposed in the central lumen 802 for use as a pusher 806. The pusher 806 has a protruding engagement surface 808 for pushing the self-expanding stent 810 out of the central lumen 802 or for holding the stent 810 as the outer tubular body 804 is being pulled in a proximal direction. A tapered tip 12 is mounted on the distal end of the pusher 806, and provides a minimally traumatic leading surface for the catheter device 800. A wire guide 814 extends through a central wire guide lumen 816 of the pusher 806. Optionally, apertures (not shown) may be provided through the side of the outer tubular body 804 and the pusher 806 to permit the wire guide 814 to exit the central lumen 802 and the wire guide lumen 816 at an intermediate location. The self-expanding stent 810 is adapted to be deployed when a user retracts the outer tubular body 804 proximally while holding the pusher 806 substantially in place. The protruding engagement surface 808 of the pusher 806 holds the self-expanding stent 810 substantially in place while the outer tubular body 804 is withdrawn from around it. Once the stent 810 is deployed, the pusher 806 and wire guide 814 are withdrawn, leaving the stent 810 in the position where it was deployed.

FIGS. 9-9E illustrate one embodiment of a balloon catheter device 900 having an elongate helically-scored hypotube shaft 901 and being configured for use in a short-wire application using a wire guide. An inflation balloon 902 is disposed near the distal end of the device 900 and is sealed thereto. FIG. 9A is an enlarged detail illustration of an intermediate section of the catheter 900. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 9A, the catheter 900 includes an internal shaft lumen 906 and an external wire guide lumen 904 a that is housed by a wire guide tube 904. As shown in FIG. 9A, the shaft 901 may be coated with a PEBA or other coating 903. In one aspect, the coating 903 may help to reduce friction during introduction of the catheter shaft 901 and provide a seal that prevents leakage of inflation fluid from the shaft lumen 906 through the wall of the shaft 901. Those of skill in the art will appreciate that a coating 903 may be disposed on the exterior of the shaft 901, or it may be disposed as a lining/coating on the interior/lumenal surface of the shaft lumen 906, or both. As is also depicted in FIG. 9A, the catheter shaft 901 tapers distally to a smaller diameter along a narrowing transitional region 905, which provides for a distal shaft portion that is more flexible than the proximal shaft portion. An increased distal flexibility may allow the catheter device 900 to be more readily navigated through tortuous passages.

FIG. 9B is an enlarged detail illustration of a distal section of the balloon catheter 900. As shown in FIG. 9B, both the shaft 901 and the wire guide lumen tube 904 extend through the balloon 902 to the distal end 907. The distal end of the shaft 901 may be provided with a sealing tip 909, which preferably has an atraumatic distal profile. FIG. 9C shows an enlarged detail portion of FIG. 9B to illustrate the relationship between the balloon 902 and the wire guide and shaft lumens (904 a and 906). The portion of the shaft 901 inside the balloon 902 does not include the coating 903, and the filars forming the wall of the shaft 901 do not form a fluid-tight barrier. As a result, and as indicated by arrows 919, the shaft lumen 906 may be used effectively as an inflation lumen because inflation fluid introduced therethrough can pass through an intralumenal portion the wall of the shaft 901 (inside the lumen of the balloon 902) to inflate the balloon 902. However, the wire guide lumen tube 904 most preferably is configured not to allow fluid communication from the shaft lumen 906 or the lumen of the balloon 902. Specifically, the wire guide lumen tube 904 is configured such that inflation fluid passing through the wall of the shaft 901 into the lumen of the balloon 902 will not escape through the wire guide lumen 904 a. As is also shown in this embodiment, the shaft 901 extending through the length of the balloon 902 may provide longitudinal support for the balloon 902.

As is also shown in this embodiment, the balloon 902 and wire guide lumen tube 904 may be mounted to the shaft 901 with a shrink sleeve 908. As shown in FIG. 9D, the sleeve 908 has approximately a figure-eight shape before mounting. The sleeve 908 includes two central apertures (910 and 912) to allow for mounting the sleeve 908 over the wire guide lumen tube 904 and the shaft 901. In this embodiment, after the balloon 902 and wire guide tube 904 are assembled to the shaft 901 together with the sleeve 908, the sleeve 908 may be heated to shrink and form to the assembly of the shaft 901, balloon 902, and wire guide tube 904. FIG. 9E is a transverse cross section view along line 9E-9E of FIG. 9C that shows the finished configuration. The sleeve 908 forms to the exterior surface of the shaft 901 and leaves open the shaft lumen 906 and the wire guide lumen 904 a. As is shown in FIG. 9A, the sleeve 908 may extend over and proximally beyond the wire guide tube 904. Accordingly, a wire guide aperture 914 may be skived out or otherwise created to provide access to the wire guide lumen 904 a. Those of skill in the art will appreciate that, in lieu of using a sleeve, the coating 903 may be extended to contact the wire guide tube 904 and/or the balloon 902 to provide a seal of the coating 903 with the wire guide tube 904 and/or the balloon 902, or that other means for securing the wire guide tube 904 and balloon 902 to the shaft 901 may be used within the scope of the present invention.

FIGS. 10-10A illustrate an embodiment of a balloon catheter device 1000 having an elongate helically-scored hypotube shaft 1001 and being configured for use without a wire guide. In one aspect, the embodiment of FIG. 10 may be configured such that it may be manipulated during navigation in the same manner as a wire guide. An inflation balloon 1002 is disposed near the distal end of the device 1000 and is sealed thereto in a manner that forms a continuously sealed length of the shaft lumen 1006 proximal of the balloon 1002 in cooperation with an internal shaft lumen coating 1003. In one aspect, the coating 1003 may help to provide a seal that prevents leakage of inflation fluid from the shaft lumen 1006 through the wall of the shaft 1001. The catheter shaft 1001 may include a tapering diameter that is smaller distally than proximally and provides for a distal shaft portion that is more flexible than the proximal shaft portion while maintaining desirable pushability and trackability.

FIG. 10A is an enlarged detail illustration of a distal section of the balloon catheter 1000. As shown in FIG. 10A, the shaft 1001 extends through the balloon 1002 to the distal end 1007. The shaft can thus extend over the entire length of the catheter avoiding—particularly around the balloon location—any disjuncture that might promote kinking. The distal end of the shaft 1001 may be provided with a sealing tip 1009, which preferably has an atraumatic distal profile. The coating 1003 substantially covers the surface of the shaft lumen 1006 through the proximal length of the shaft 1001 and terminates near the proximal end of the balloon 1002 such that an intralumenal portion of the shaft 1001 (inside the interior space of the balloon, at least part of which forms a lumen of the balloon 1002) does not include the coating 1003, and the filars forming at least that portion of the wall of the shaft 1001 do not form a fluid-tight barrier. As a result, and as indicated by arrows 1019, the shaft lumen 1006 may be used effectively as an inflation lumen because inflation fluid introduced therethrough can pass through the wall of the shaft 1001 to inflate the balloon 1002. Those of skill in the art will appreciate that a coating may be used on the shaft exterior in addition to or instead of the lumenal shaft coating 1003, and that, if a coatings are present on both the interior and exterior shaft surfaces, each coating may include the same or different materials as the other coating. Also, it is not necessary for the entire length of the distal portion within the balloon to be uncoated; provided that there is sufficient leakage of inflation fluid through this distal portion of the tube to permit inflation of the balloon. In this embodiment, the shaft 1001 also provides longitudinal support for the balloon 1002. It will be seen that the shaft extends through the entire longitudinal extent of the balloon. The shaft portion disposed within the balloon 1002 may include a pair of radio-opaque markers 1017 configured to allow a user to fluoroscopically visualize the position of the balloon 1002. Suitable radio-opaque markers may include swaged metal (such as, for example, stainless steel, platinum, gold) or an polymer infused with barium or another radio-opaque material.

In one preferred embodiment, a balloon catheter device such as the balloon catheter 1000 lacking an external wire guide structure may be constructed such that it may function similar to a wire guide. Specifically, the catheter 1000 may be configured such that it has a small outer diameter, is sufficiently flexible to pass through a tight curvature or tortuous passageway, and has pushability and trackability sufficient to be navigated through such tightly curved and/or tortuous pathways in the same manner as a wire guide, thereby obviating the need for a separate wire guide. Those of skill in the art will appreciate that a preferred outer diameter will be different for different applications, but the outer diameter a catheter embodiment configured for use in peripheral blood vessels may be in the range of about 0.040-0.055 inches, and that the outer diameter may differ along the length of the catheter embodiment.

In some embodiments, the shaft coating (if any) may be a material other than PEBA, and may include the same material or different material than the material in a mounting sleeve used to mount a balloon (for example, HDPE, PTFE, PET, polyurethane, polyimide, polyolefin, nylon, or any combination thereof). The balloon catheters of the present invention may be adaptable for use with expandable stents as is illustrated, for example, in FIG. 3B. In the embodiments described above, a flexible stylet (not shown) may be inserted through the inflation lumen for use during advancement/navigation of the catheter device to a desired location. Such a stylet may be used to increase stiffness and pushability in a circumstance where that is desirable (such as, for example, if the catheter is being used to cannulate a lesion). Use of a stylet that is shaped (such as, for example, with a curve of up to about 70°) may also allow a user to reshape the distal end of the catheter shaft in a manner that may, for example, allow easier indication and navigation of branch vessels. A preferred stylet will not extend beyond the distal end of the catheter device.

Another balloon catheter device embodiment 1100 is shown with reference to FIGS. 11-11G. The catheter device 1100 includes an elongate shaft 1107 including a helically cut hypotube 1120. An inflation balloon 1103 is disposed near the distal end of the device. A hub 1140 is disposed adjacent the proximal end of the device. FIG. 11A is an enlarged detail illustration of a distal-middle portion of the device 1100, showing a magnified longitudinal section view that includes a proximal portion of a wire guide lumen structure 1170 configured for use of the device in a short wire guide configuration. The wire guide lumen structure 1170 includes a wire guide lumen 1172 that extends substantially parallel with an inflation lumen 1101 of the shaft 1107.

In the illustrated embodiment, substantially the entire length of the shaft 1107 may include an outer layer 1150 as a coating. A preferred coating is a thermoplastic polymer such as, for example, a polyester or polyether block amide (e.g., PEBAX®). A preferred coating will provide a desirable lubricity profile that exhibits low friction during introduction of the device through, for example, a blood vessel. A preferred coating will also provide a fluid-tight seal configured to prevent leakage of pressurized inflation fluid (for example, at pressures in a normal operating range up to about 8-14 atm, and preferably configured to prevent leakage at pressures exceeding normal ranges, for example, up to or exceeding about 27 atm).

A preferred catheter shaft 1107 tapers from a greater proximal outer diameter (such as, for example, about 0.048 to about 0.052 inches) to a lesser distal diameter (such as, for example, about 0.044 to about 0.040 inches). Those of skill in the art will appreciate that the lesser distal diameter may present improved trackability for navigation of tortuous passages.

As is shown in FIGS. 11B and 11C (which is an enlarged detail view of FIG. 11B), the inflation lumen 1101 of the catheter device 1100 is open to and provides fluid communication with the balloon lumen 1103 a of the balloon 1103. A distal portion 1170 a of the wire guide lumen structure 1170 including the wire guide lumen 1172 also extends through the balloon lumen 1103 a and through the distal end of the balloon 1103 to a distal tip 1104. The distal end portion 1170 a of the wire guide lumen structure 1170 preferably is very flexible (high trackability), and it may provide an advantage in directing the device 1100 along a wire guide (not shown) through particularly tortuous passages. FIG. 11B also shows the attachment of the balloon 1103 to the device 1100. Those of skill in the art will appreciate that, in another embodiment within the scope of the present invention, the balloon 1103 may be attached to the tube 1120 and configured such that the distal wire guide lumen structure portion 1170 a extends exterior (of the balloon lumen 1103 a) and adjacent the balloon 1103.

FIG. 11D shows a transverse cross-section of a dual-lumen thermoset sleeve 1105, which has a generally figure-8 cross-section and includes an upper lumen 1105 a and a lower lumen 1105 b. The sleeve 1105 preferably is constructed of a thermoplastic binder material such as, for example, a polyolefin, polyester or polyether block amide (PEBA), or other appropriate polymeric material having thermoplastic materials suitable for helping to form the wire guide lumen structure 1170 and to attach it to the tube 1120. As depicted in FIGS. 11E-11F (each of which represents a transverse cross-sectional view along line 11E-11E of FIG. 11A), the upper lumen 1105 a of the sleeve 1105 defines the wire guide lumen 1172. The wire guide lumen 1172 may include a wire guide lumen liner 1172 a, which preferably is made of a lubricious polymer that can form a thin wall with high strength such as, for example, PTFE, polyethylene, polyimide, or a similar material. In one aspect, the liner 1172 a may help prevent fluid from leaking from the inflation lumen 1101 through pores of the tube 1120 into the wire guide lumen 1172. Preventing inflation fluid from leaking out of the inflation lumen is preferable for at least the reason that a substantially patent fluid lumen is required to allow passage of inflation fluid at a pressure and rate desired for proper inflation and deflation of the balloon. In another aspect, the portion of the sleeve 1105 between the sleeve lumens 1105 a and 1105 b may be provided with a desired thickness such as, for example, about 0.001 inches to minimize the likelihood of cross-lumen communication between the inflation lumen 1101 and wire guide lumen 1172.

The lower lumen 1105 b surrounds the tube 1120. The outer layer coating 1150 of the device may extend over and surround the exterior of the sleeve 1105. As shown in FIGS. 11E-11F, the thermoset sleeve 1105 has been heated to conform around the wire guide lumen 1172 and tube 1120. FIG. 11E shows the sleeve 1105 as having been formed with a round cross-section, and FIG. 11F shows the sleeve 1105 as having been formed with an out-of-round cross-section. The latter configuration is preferred when the device 1100 is to be used in conjunction with a guide sleeve (not shown) through which contrast fluid may be injected, because the out-of-round profile will more readily permit contrast fluid to flow through a circular-cross-section guide sheath lumen and around the sleeve 1105. However, it is preferable that the cross-sectional height not be greatly different than the cross-sectional width.

A wire guide aperture 1109 is described with reference to FIGS. 11A and 11G (which is a transverse cross-sectional view of FIG. 11A along line 11G-11G). In order to facilitate use of the catheter device 1100 in a short wire configuration, a wire guide aperture 1109 is provided near the proximal end of the wire guide lumen structure 1170. The wire guide aperture 1109 may be formed by skiving an opening through the outer layer 1150, upper surface of sleeve 1105, and (if present) wire guide lumen liner 1172 a. This aperture 1109 will, for example, allow a wire guide (not shown) directed from the distal end 1104 through the wire guide lumen 1172 to exit. As described above, mounting the device 1100 onto a wire guide in this manner may facilitate rapid introduction and/or exchange of the device 1100 along the wire guide. In order to provide additional protection against cross-lumen leakage in the aperture region, an additional barrier 1105 c may be provided around the circumference of the shaft 1107 along a shaft region adjacent the aperture 1109. The barrier 1105 c preferably will be formed of a high-strength polymer that preferably is impermeable to inflation fluid such as, for example, a polyether block amide or similar material.

Example 1

An exemplary method of making a wire-guided balloon catheter 1200 is described with reference to FIGS. 12A-12K. Those of skill will appreciate that this and other embodiments may be constructed using alternative methods within the scope of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 12A, a tubular shaft 1202 is provided, including a monolayer tubular shaft of ten filars coiled together to form a shaft wall 1204 defining a shaft lumen 1206. The shaft 1202 includes a proximal end 1202 a and a distal end 1202 b, and it has desirable pushability and trackability characteristics, with a structure that tapers from a proximal outer diameter of about 0.05 inches to a distal diameter of about 0.04 inches. (NOTE: FIGS. 12A-12K, along with all other figures of the present application, may not be drawn to scale). Next, as shown in FIG. 12B, a PEBA barrier sleeve 1208 is placed around a distal region of the shaft wall 1204 and heated to sealingly shrink around it (1204).

Then, as depicted in FIG. 12C, an elongate dual-lumen sleeve 1210 is provided. The dual-lumen sleeve 1210 includes a lower lumen 1212 and an upper (wire guide) lumen 1214. An upper lumen portion 1214 a of the sleeve 1210 extends distally beyond a lower lumen portion 1212 a of the sleeve 1210. FIG. 12C shows the dual-lumen sleeve 1210 as having been mounted onto the shaft wall 1204 of the shaft 1202 by sliding a distal portion of the shaft 1202 into the lower lumen 1212 until the distal shaft end 1202 b is near the distal end of the lower lumen portion 1212 a.

FIG. 12D shows a PTFE wire guide lumen liner 1218 provided on a first mandrel 1218 a. The liner 1218 will be directed into the upper (wire guide) lumen 1214 until its (1218) proximal end is adjacent the proximal end of the upper (wire guide) lumen 1214. Next, as shown in FIG. 12E, a tubular PEBA thermoplastic sheath 1220 is directed over the entire length of the shaft 1202 such that it also encircles that portion of the dual-lumen sleeve 1210 around the distal region of the shaft 1202. Then, as illustrated in FIG. 12F, after the assembly is heated, the sheath 1220 shrinks around the shaft length to form a sealing coating 1220 along the length of the shaft 1202 and fusing the dual lumen sleeve 1210 to the shaft wall 1204 and the liner 1218. During the heat-shrink step, a second mandrel 1222 is provided through the shaft lumen 1206 to prevent it from becoming occluded by any coating material that may seep through the shaft wall.

Next, as depicted in FIG. 12G, a wire guide aperture 1230 is skived near the proximal end of the upper (wire guide) lumen 1214 by cutting or otherwise incising through the sheath 1220, the sleeve 1210, and the liner 1218. FIG. 12H shows that the first mandrel 1218 a (or a different mandrel, not shown) is directed through the wire guide aperture 1230 in a manner that compresses a portion of the dual lumen sleeve 1210 immediately proximal of the wire guide aperture 1230. The compressed region is heated and, as shown in FIG. 12J, substantially fuses to form a proximal ramped surface 1230 a as a proximal portion of the wire guide aperture 1230.

As illustrated in FIG. 121, the proximal end of a balloon 1280 is attached (preferably by a heat seal or equivalent means) to the assembly adjacent the distal shaft end 1202 b such that the upper lumen portion 1214 a of the sleeve 1210 extends through the lumen 1282 and distal end of the balloon 1280. The distal end of the balloon 1280 is sealed (also preferably by a heat seal or equivalent means) to the upper lumen portion 1214 a of the sleeve 1210, which houses the wire guide lumen 1214. The PTFE wire guide liner 1218 does not need to extend completely to the distal end of the upper lumen portion 1214 a of the dual-lumen sleeve 1210. The balloon 1280 can be compressed and folded, and—if desired—a stent 1290 mounted thereto as shown in FIG. 12J. And, as shown in FIG. 12K, a hub 1295 may be mounted to the proximal shaft end 1202 a. In another embodiment of this method, the longitudinal shape of that upper lumen portion that is distal of the shaft may be modified to align generally with a longitudinal axis of that shaft or of the combined shaft and outer sleeve 1210 in a manner similar to that shown in FIG. 5C.

Those of skill in the art will appreciate that other embodiments and variants of the structures and methods described above may be practiced within the scope of the present invention. It will also be recognized that features described in particular combinations may be also be useful in combinations of features other than those specifically described or referred to. It is therefore intended that the foregoing detailed description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting, and that it be understood that it is the following claims, including all equivalents, that are intended to define the scope of this invention. 

1. A medical balloon catheter, comprising: an elongate helically-scored hypotube comprising a longitudinal tube lumen therethrough, a coated proximal portion, and an uncoated distal portion; an inflatable balloon disposed about the uncoated distal portion such that a lumen of the balloon substantially comprises the uncoated distal portion; wherein the tube is configured such that the coated proximal portion provides a substantially patent path of fluid communication with the uncoated distal portion and the uncoated distal portion permits fluid communication between the tube lumen and the balloon lumen.
 2. The medical balloon catheter of claim 1, wherein the coated proximal portion comprises a coating on an exterior surface of the tube.
 3. The medical balloon catheter of claim 1, wherein the coated proximal portion comprises a first coating on a surface of the tube lumen and a second coating on an exterior surface of the tube.
 4. The medical catheter of claim 3, wherein the first coating comprises a material different that the second coating.
 5. The medical balloon catheter of claim 4, further comprising a wire guide tube, wherein the wire guide tube is connected to the hypotube and extends substantially longitudinally parallel with the hypotube from a location proximal of the balloon to a location near the distal end of the balloon; and wherein the wire guide tube comprises a wire guide lumen.
 6. The medical balloon catheter of claim 4, further comprising a sleeve connecting the wire guide tube to the hypotube.
 7. The medical balloon catheter of claim 1, further comprising a balloon-deployable stent configured to be deployed from the balloon.
 8. A catheter device, comprising: an elongate helically-scored hypotube shaft comprising a shaft lumen extending longitudinally therethrough; a balloon disposed upon a distal end portion of the shaft such that a intralumenal shaft portion is disposed substantially longitudinally through an interior space of the balloon; and a coating disposed upon at least one of an exterior shaft surface portion and an interior shaft lumen surface portion, wherein the coated surface portion provides a fluid-tight seal of the shaft, and wherein the coating does not extend substantially onto the intralumenal shaft portion so as to permit fluid communication between the shaft lumen and the interior space of the balloon.
 9. A medical balloon catheter device configured for use with a wire guide, the catheter comprising: an elongate helically-scored hypotube, said tube comprising a proximal tube end, a distal tube end, and a longitudinal tube lumen extending therebetween; a wire guide lumen structure disposed adjacent the distal tube end and extending distally beyond the distal tube end, said structure comprising a wire guide lumen; an inflatable balloon disposed adjacent the wire guide lumen structure and attached near the distal tube end such that a lumen of the balloon is in fluid communication with the tube lumen; wherein the tube is configured such that a coated proximal tube portion provides a substantially patent path of fluid communication between the proximal tube end and the balloon lumen.
 10. The catheter device of claim 9, wherein the wire guide lumen structure extends through a portion of the balloon lumen.
 11. The catheter device of claim 9, wherein a coating of the coated proximal tube portion comprises a material selected from HDPE, PTFE, PET, polyester block amide, polyether block amide, polyurethane, polyimide, polyolefin, nylon, and any combination thereof.
 12. The catheter device of claim 11, further comprising means for preventing fluid communication between the tube lumen and the wire guide lumen.
 13. The catheter device of claim 12, wherein the means for preventing fluid communication comprises a polymer sheath disposed around a distal portion of the tube.
 14. The catheter device of claim 12, wherein the means for preventing fluid communication comprises a dual-lumen sleeve, a part of which is disposed around a distal portion of the tube.
 15. The catheter device of claim 9, wherein the wire guide lumen structure comprises a dual-lumen sleeve, the sleeve comprising the wire guide lumen and a tube-surrounding lumen substantially parallel thereto, said tube-surrounding lumen substantially encompassing a circumferential distal portion of the tube.
 16. The catheter device of claim 15, wherein the wire guide lumen structure further comprises a wire guide aperture near a proximal end of the wire guide lumen structure, said aperture configured to allow passage of a wire guide therethrough.
 17. The catheter device of claim 15, wherein the tube-surrounding lumen is bonded to an exterior distal portion of the tube.
 18. The catheter device of claim 15, wherein a distal end portion of the balloon is sealed to the wire guide lumen structure to form a fluid-tight seal.
 19. The catheter device of claim 15, wherein the wire guide lumen further comprises a lining layer coaxially disposed against a surface of the wire guide lumen.
 20. The catheter device of claim 19, wherein the lining layer comprises PTFE.
 21. The medical balloon catheter of claim 9, further comprising a balloon-deployable stent configured to be deployed from the balloon.
 22. A medical balloon catheter device configured for use with a wire guide, the catheter comprising: an elongate tube formed of a helically-scored hypotube, said tube comprising a proximal tube end, a distal tube end, and a longitudinal tube lumen extending therebetween; a dual-lumen sleeve structure disposed adjacent the distal tube end, said dual-lumen sleeve structure comprising a first sleeve lumen and a second sleeve lumen; and an inflatable balloon comprising a balloon lumen, said balloon lumen being in fluid communication with the tube lumen; wherein the first sleeve lumen comprises a wire guide lumen and extends distally beyond the distal tube end; wherein the second sleeve lumen comprises a tube-bonding lumen through which is disposed a tube portion adjacent the distal tube end; wherein a coating covers substantially the exterior surfaces of the tube and the sleeve structure, and provides a patent fluid communication path along the tube lumen between the proximal tube end and the balloon lumen; wherein a proximal portion of the balloon is connected to the tube and the sleeve structure, and is connected distally to the sleeve structure such that at least a portion of the sleeve structure extends through the balloon lumen; wherein the first sleeve lumen extends distally beyond a distal end of the balloon; and wherein a wire guide aperture is disposed on a proximal portion of the wire guide lumen and is configured to provide passage therethrough for a wire guide.
 23. The catheter device of claim 22, wherein a coating comprises a material selected from HDPE, PTFE, PET, polyester block amide, polyether block amide, polyurethane, polyimide, polyolefin, nylon, and any combination thereof.
 24. The catheter device of claim 22, wherein the wire guide lumen further comprises a lining layer coaxially disposed against a surface of the wire guide lumen.
 25. The catheter device of claim 22, further comprising a balloon-deployable stent configured to be deployed from the balloon.
 26. The catheter device of claim 22, wherein the helically-scored hypotube comprises a helically-cut hypotube.
 27. A method of making a balloon catheter device comprising the steps of: providing an elongate tube in the form of a helically-scored hypotube having a proximal tube end and a distal tube end with a tube lumen therebetween; providing a dual-lumen sleeve having an upper sleeve lumen and a lower sleeve lumen, wherein said upper lumen includes a greater distal length than said lower lumen; directing the distal tube end into the lower lumen until the distal tube end is near a distal end of the lower lumen; directing a tubular sheath over the tube and the sleeve such that at least a substantial longitudinal portion of the tube and of the sleeve both extend through a sheath lumen of the tubular sheath; shrinking the sheath around the tube and sleeve such that the sheath forms a coating thereabout; skiving a wire guide aperture into a proximal portion of the upper lumen; providing a balloon having a balloon lumen; and attaching the balloon to the tube such that the tube lumen is in fluid communication with the tube lumen.
 28. The method of claim 27, further comprising a step before providing the dual-lumen sleeve, said step comprising providing a barrier sleeve disposed around a distal region of the tube.
 29. The method of claim 27, further comprising a step of providing a tubular liner in the upper lumen of the dual-lumen sleeve.
 30. The method of claim 27, further comprising a step of providing a mandrel directed through the wire guide aperture and compressing a region immediately proximal thereof to form a ramped surface.
 31. The method of claim 27, wherein a portion of the upper lumen that includes the greater distal length than the lower lumen extends through a portion of the balloon lumen. 